Council of the Long Lost Gentle Giant
The Council of the Long Lost Gentle Giant was a council meeting called by Mullins the Mighty and led by Jae Karune, held on June 5th, 1271 A.K. in Fort Volonte. The main purpose of the council was to discuss the previous whereabouts of Mullins, who since resurfaced, and his encounters with Azmodan's demons. Mullins also announced his choice to rejoin the Eternal Companions and abandon the Order of Crusaders. The meeting was marked as one of the first times that Azmodan's presence was announced abroad, as well as his potential invasion which later became a reality. However, Azmodan's status and whereabouts remained unclear. The only person who took heed of the warning was Alec Kylar, who was keen on the history of the demonic lords of the Burning Hells. Attendees * Alonso Kubit * Mullins the Mighty * Doran Barajas * Jazmine Barajas * Bernardo Philipp Esgalhado Ploch * Executor Adam Vellar * Katheryne Sévérine * Alka Sévérine * Ikeda Cao * Karen Kortez * Joel Gabriel * Alec Kylar * Tomaka Jun-fan * Vicar Jae Karune Preliminary Four years prior to the council meeting, Mullins the Mighty journeyed into the Dreadlands on a lone mission to eliminate a potential demonic threat. When he did not return nor was heard from again, his comrades from both the Eternal Companions and the Order of Crusaders presumed he was killed or captured. In truth, Mullins completed his mission by slaying a group of demonic highwaymen that were terrorizing the wasteland; his return home was hindered when he became lost, then captured, and then liberated over the course of several years. In the years following his disappearance, his closest friends within the Eternal Companions, such as Jae, Ikeda and Alec, attempted to search for him or find news of his recent whereabouts, but none prevailed. In 1268, Alec's associate Clyver Dalgard died in the Dreadlands while searching for Mullins' runic sword, the mission itself completed anonymously by Mullins himself when he learned of the rogue's mission. While on a mission to track down a bounty in northern Entsteig, the famous fighter Isamu Ha, friend of Ikeda Cao and member of the Eternal Companions, heard rumors coming from the Dreadlands that the crusader still lived. Mullins left the Dreadlands and made his way to Bastion's Keep on January 14th, 1271 A.K. where he lodged for several days. Afterwards, Mullins traveled south for two months on foot and reached the city of Reydinhal on May 12th, where he found an inn that lodged members of the Eternal Companions for free; after the innkeeper revealed Jae Karune's whereabouts, Mullins was pointed into the latter's direction. Several days later Jae received news from word-a-mouth that a "long lost gentle giant" was searching him, alas Jae traveled to Reydinhal where he was surprised and reunited with his friend Mullin on May 23th. After nearly a week of drinking and sharing stories at Reydinhal's inn, Jae invited Ikeda and Katheryne to reunite with Mullins, and on May 28th they arrived to find a drunken Mullins and Jae. Though relieved that Mullins had survived his long, treacherous mission, Ikeda remained suspicious Mullins could possibly be a shapeshifter, much like the one who nearly assassinated Ikeda two years prior. Jae debunked Ikeda's suspicion by having Mullins reveal personal facts about his own life as well as demonstrating holy magic. After catching up with his long lost friend, whom he dubbed a "gentle giant", Jae immediately sent out word to all the leaders of the Eternal Companions to be summoned to Fort Volonte for celebration, 80 miles south of Reydinhal. When Mullins and Jae finally sobered they agreed to accompany Ikeda to the fort. The party arrived on June 4th, and were greeted by a larger group of followers under Executor Adam Vellar. Procedure The official meeting began in the afternoon of June 5th. Alec later confirmed through mind reading that Mullins was not a spy or agent as Ikeda initially suspected. Executor Adam ordered all patrons to leave the inn so that the council may be held privately among the meeting attendees. Their waitress, Shirley, was present and tipped well by Executor Adam and Ikeda. Jae gave a toast for the return of Mullins, who introduced himself to the members who had joined in his absence. Dissatisfied that Ikeda was no longer Executor, Mullins was verbally reluctantly to accept Adam as his new leader, but Adam began sharing much of his personal life and future goals to the gentle giant in order to gain his trust. As their feast was being prepped, all the attendees began to share the years of events that Mullins had missed: conflicts such as the Reign of the Corvus Renegades, the Culver Massacre, the Quest of Twisted Oak, the Oricon Crisis, the Clash of the Eternal Companions, and the War of the Shadows. Among the members that were no longer active, Mullins learned of Elee's tragic demise, Doug's execution, Zira's exile and return, Marcella and Alliser's retirement and the deaths of Brad, Ferreyra and Kalvien, and many more. When the feast began later on during the council, Mullins began opening up and sharing the long tale of his years in exile: a majority of his years were spent adapting to the Dreadlands, a place of nightmarish creatures and harsh climates; he became trapped within the Arreat Crater, and later imprisoned, when he crossed paths with a group of demons under the command of Cydaea, the Maiden of Lust, Azmodan's most efficient lieutenant. His conflict with Cydaea lead to his discovery of the Lord of Sin and his interest in Sanctuary. Mullins fought several times with the Maiden of Lust in the months he spent within the crater, but his shield was shattered and his runic sword lost. He eventually escaped imprisonment and fled into the wasteland, but lost much of his sanity and faith in the process. Mullins later found his missing sword in the wasteland and anonymously delivered it back to the Eternal Companions. (center) as he tells of the his adventures in the Dreadlands. Alec, Bernardo and Adam (left); Jae, Katheryne and Ikeda (right).]] During the middle of the feast, Ikeda interrupted and asked Mullins how he managed to reclaim his sanity and put his mind at peace. Mullins claimed that despite abandonment of the Light due to his despair, his enthusiasm to return home to his friends and allies - whom he considered his family - was the only thing that kept his sanity intact. Mullins also explained that after escaping the clutches of Cydaea, he wandered south until he found Bastion's Keep; his personal goal beyond that point was to spread word of the demon lord's activities and his deadly lieutenant that still roamed the Arreat Crater. The council meeting adjourned after the party feasted on desert and shared a round of drinks; Executor Adam, while dismissal of Mullin's claims of a possible demonic invasion, appraised Mullins for surviving and returning home to give warning. Alec Kylar privately criticized Adam's ignorance and lack of experience on demons. Ikeda made a toast to Mullins his return and to Executor Adam for his headship in future endeavors. After the council ended, many of the attendees stayed to chat and drink, but Alec Kylar kept his focus primarily upon Mullin's warning of demonic activity in the norther regions of Sanctuary. Later, he informed Katheryne and her protegee Karen on the importance of the Burning Hells.